Dear Emi
by Updown1234
Summary: Letters to a dear friend about life after transfering to Ouran Academy. (I'm not too sure if I'll finish this or update frequently so be warned. It's kind of just an idea right now.) oc insert. Follows the manga. Is also on AO3 for better formatting.
1. Letter 1: A new start

Dear Emi,

It feels weird not going to high school with you, and living in a new place takes a lot of getting used to. Being in a new school takes getting used to too. Did you know that some nut job decided that pink would be a great color scheme for the walls? And basically the entire building too. I'm not sure if this is the aesthetic sense of rich people or if some powerful colorblind person decided on the color and no one could contradict them. The uniforms are crazy too. You would have liked them- or maybe not since you were always into that anime-school-uniform cosplay vibe. Bright canary yellow dresses with huge sleeve puffs and a full skirt was not what I was expecting, neither was I expecting bright blue blazers for the guys. It was hard to stifle my laughter when I was walking through the halls- it was like watching a bunch of yellow ducks swimming through a bright blue kiddie pool. I hope all rich schools aren't like this, though I suppose I'll never know.

Apparently I'm also not the only transfer student. During class introductions, I heard someone say they came from a different middle school. (Hamari Juriyama? Hinako?) I can't really remember but at least I'm not the only newbie on campus. She wasn't wearing the uniform and no one called her out on it, so maybe I won't have to wear this stupid yellow dress either? I hope so because this is the most ridiculous I've felt since the time you roped me into cosplaying as that guy from Doki Doki Remorial or something like that. I am never doing that again.

Something that really bothered me was they were referring to the other transfer student as a commoner. It's not like they were saying it in a mean or rude way- or well, most of them weren't- it just seemed like a way to refer to a group of people for them. I guess that's what you and I (are) were. It feels really surreal to know that my mom is rich after living middle class for my whole life so I can't be considered a commoner anymore. And speaking of my mom, I'm not really sure how I should be feeling about her. She did leave me to live with gran when I was two so I don't really remember much about her, but now she wants to come waltzing back into my life? Should I forgive her for (abandoning) leaving me? I mean, I get it. When dad died she couldn't support a two year old kid, and she was really young too but she should have at least tried. And now, she's back and married and has kids and also wants to take care of me again? I wish you were here so I could at least have a friendly face or someone to talk to this about but I guess this letter will have to suffice.

On another note, maybe it's better that you're not here because I have a really bad feeling that you'd be drooling and fangirling over my brothers. Yeah, I have brothers now, apparently. Two older and one younger by a few years who's related to me by blood. They're… handsome? I don't know it feels really wrong and weird to be saying that about people who are now related to me but yes they are aesthetically pleasing and you'd definitely be making some embarrassing squealing noises if you saw them. I don't live with them though. My step-dad did offer and it's not like anyone was shunning me or anything but I just felt like it would be really awkward. I don't know any of these people, and they don't know me. I'd be a total stranger just intruding on their lives and vice versa and I'm really not ready for that.

So I'm living on my own now! Yippie. My step-dad said he understood and said he wanted to make me feel as comfortable as possible considering I had just been removed from my old life and plopped into a new one. He's nice, I guess. That's probably why he got me an apartment in a neighborhood similar to my old one- to make the transition smoother or something. I have the whole place to myself which is new and exciting. You would love it. It's honestly similar to what we had in mind when we were thinking of moving out for college and being roommates. The best part is that now I can fully stock the kitchen with whatever I want, cook any time I want, and cook whatever I want! Everything is so new and shiny and I love it! I can't wait to break it in! And I don't think I'll have any problems with stocking my kitchen with whatever I want because the monthly allowance my step-dad gives me is insane. Like, I knew he was rich but damn. You'd totally be jealous if I said how much so I won't disclose the amount. I don't even have to pay for utilities or rent! I think I'm going to really like it in my new place. I haven't been able to cook anything yet because I haven't been able to shop for groceries or cookery but when I do... mwahahahaha.

It's only been the first day of school so there's not much homework. I was put in class 1-A, so I guess I better study really hard. They do this thing where there's a class representative and a vice representative but it seemed like a bother and a gopher position so I didn't volunteer. That's more sort of your thing, though I would have joined if you did. Also, I didn't mention this before but I'm not sure if rich people just have good genes or good skin care routines or what, but most everyone in my class was good looking. Honestly it was a bit intimidating, which is the excuse I'll use for not really talking to anyone or making new friends. You would probably have befriended the entire school population by now but I guess I'll try harder tomorrow… or next week. That's it for now.

Rina

P.S. I miss you.


	2. Letter 2: Meeting the neighbors

Dear Emi

I managed to talk to someone in my class! Of course, it was only a sentence or two and it was with the vice class rep because she was collecting my papers… I think her name was Momoko Kurusagi? It was something like Momotaro. Well, I'll get there. It's only been a week after all, and everyone else has known each other since elementary or middle school. Plus, talking to good looking people is daunting. Also, I found out that no, it's not because rich people are all good looking but all the good looking rich people were put into one class. I guess my step dad is some big shot because they all seem to come from really powerful or famous backgrounds too…

For a super-rich school, the curriculum seems pretty standard. I'm glad I was in the accelerated course in middle school or I wouldn't be able to keep up. The weird thing is they don't have a physical education course? You would have probably thrown a party since you hate running or sports or any kind of physical activity but I kind of miss having an hour or so to move around without being judged. I figure I'll replace it with a morning run since the schools have shower stations for the sports clubs. I asked our homeroom teacher and he said no one needed any permissions to use them so I guess I'm good? Luckily short hair dries quickly. I've been taking the early train to school so I can explore the campus and no one seems to be around early in the morning except the staff. Honestly it would be like a horror movie with all the empty halls if said halls were not colored obnoxiously pink. The place is huge too. I don't think I can finish exploring all of it in a week- it'll probably take me a month at least. I wish you could be here to explore with me. That would make it ten times more fun.

Speaking of the campus, their cafeteria is crazy! It's huge, and there are different sections like a more private café section with giant windows overlooking the garden area and there's also a main canteen style section. Everything is always really clean and I don't have to look out for weird food particles on the seats or spills on the floor because, either everyone has perfect manners and don't spill anything or the cleaning staff is super efficient. Maybe it's a combination of both? I think there's even a section where you can get served restaurant style with waiters. After this kind of treatment, I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to a normal high school. Actually, just kidding- all of this seems really excessive, though I will miss the pro levels of sanitation if I ever do have to go back. I'll definitely also miss the food. As expensive as it is, it's totally worth the price. Apparently my step dad pre-paid for all my meals at school this year. I was originally planning on bringing food from home because of the prices but at least this is a chance to broaden my knowledge on fancy food! I swear I will steal all their secrets by the end of the year and make them mine! Last week one of the dishes they were serving for the A set was Western style beef stew. You know how I usually don't like it that much but for this one, the meat was so tender without being mushy and the sauce was super rich. The vegetables were also perfectly cooked with the sauce flavor seeped in, and everything worked well together! I think they also put some cinnamon in there, but I can't tell if they used ground cinnamon or if they used the whole stick kind and then took it out. Maybe I could ask the chefs? I feel like that would be rude though, but I really want to know…

I feel a little awkward being able to taste all these high class foods though; he didn't have to do that since he's already giving me a hefty allowance… I want to thank him but I'm not really sure how. You would probably tell me to just go for it and hug him while saying thank you but I don't have your courage to do that. Maybe I'll just text him- but that seems a little impersonal. I thought about making him some food and passing it to him through my little brother but he probably has tons of professional chefs to do that kind of work for him. Also, my little brother apparently goes to Ouran as well, though he goes to the middle school sector. I don't know why I was expecting anything different; it's obvious that anyone with money would send their kid to Ouran. His name is (Akiko? No wait it's) Akihito Hiraoka. That's my new last name too, Hiraoka. I met him and my parents before I moved into my new place and I haven't seen him since. He seems, okay? Kind of quiet. I don't really have a strong impression on any of my brothers since I only saw Akihito at the one dinner with my parents before I moved into my new place but I guess I'll meet them sometime later.

After the first two days of being alone, the apartment seems really empty without gran or you barging in every day to hang out. Without her to nag me, I almost forgot to do adult life things like greet the neighbors or take out the trash. Or, well- I tried to greet the neighbors. I remember gran telling me I needed to prepare a gift so I decided to use this as an excuse to try and bake a cake. I made three, one for me, one for my right neighbor and one for my left neighbor. I think they came out pretty well. It was a milk tea sponge cake recipe I found online. I used black tea instead of the green tea the recipe asked for - since I didn't have any green tea - and whipped cream instead of frosting to give it a lighter taste. I tried doing those frosting roses with the whipped cream but I think I left the cream out for too long because it didn't hold together and just became a sad drooping mess. Luckily I tried it out on my cake first. I ended up just putting the usual cream dollops around the edges of the cake for both of them and packaged them up really nicely. I think they came out tasting great but you probably wouldn't have liked them, complaining that they weren't sweet enough. I swear, your taste buds are like a child's and you never appreciate my sophisticated pallet or the idea of subtle sweetness.

I didn't end up actually meeting my right neighbor because when I tried knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell, no one answered. I didn't want to waste the cake I made either- you know I like sweets but really, one cake is enough for a week or two – so I just hung it on their doorknob with a note. I probably can go greet them later with a different present when they're home. I did meet my left neighbors though. They were a really sweet married couple. One was a housewife and the other was the owner of a flower shop in the shopping district near the grocery store. They both told me to call them by their first names, which is a bit awkward but if that's what they want? At least I have a better chance of getting their names right. The wife, Hanako (Shizune? Sushine?) Shimizu was about 5 months pregnant so maybe I'll hear a little brat running around soon. Maybe it'll make me less homesick to hear something familiar. (I wonder how Kaito is doing. He was only four when I left so he'll probably forget about me in time since I'm not going back home. There isn't even anything to g- ) When Riku Shimizu, the husband, heard I was living alone, he gave me a container full of food and told me I could ask them for help or if I needed anything. He also gave me their home phone number and the phone number to their flower store. I think they were worried I would have trouble taking care of myself. I guess it's usually worrying if a teenager is living alone since they don't know I was basically taking care of gran and myself since forever.

I checked later to see what they gave me and it was some super yummy Japanese style potato salad. It was just the way I like it too, super chunky potato with lots of additional veggies and minimal mayo. I finished it as a side dish last week so maybe I should return the container with something I cooked inside to thank them?

I'm also still wearing this stupid dress. I looked though the dress code and it never says explicitly that we have to wear the uniform, and the other transfer student is still not wearing the uniform so it's not like I can't ditch it. I was also getting a lot of weird looks on the train for wearing that get up. Luckily there weren't a lot of people there so I got away with minimal embarrassment, but I don't think I would be able to handle the attention I would get at school for wearing something different. The other transfer student sticks out like a sore thumb but she doesn't seem to care, or maybe she doesn't even notice? Her hair looks like a birds nest and she wears these super thick glasses so maybe she doesn't care about how others think of her. She's kind of like you in that regard. Well, since they have gym style locker rooms and I'm planning on jogging to school in the mornings anyways, I'll just wear normal clothes and change into my uniform when I get to school. I'll tell you more next time but I have to study so I can keep up with my classes now.

Ria

P.S. I wish you were here.


	3. Letter 3: Club week

Dear Emi,

I underestimated the distance jogging from my apartment to school would be, but luckily I left really early the first day so I still arrived with plenty of time to spare. I got stopped by the security guards on my first few days since I guess they didn't recognize me as a student without the uniform but I just showed them my student id and they let me in. Most of the security guards seem to recognize me now and some of them greet me in the morning too. I was also told to keep my guard up and don't talk to strangers since there aren't a lot of people around in the morning. I just said I would and thank you for the concerns at the time, but seriously what does everyone think I am, an elementary schooler? It figures I would get friendly with the security guards first before anyone my own age. It's been another week and I still have not successfully made any friends. Maybe I should use a food bait trap… I mean, that's how I got you- though you were the one who just barged in and asked for some of my lunch- but they're rich people. They probably have servants to buy them or make them whatever they want whenever they want. I don't think it would work as well.

Maybe I'll find some friends if I join a club. It was club season so there were flyers on the class board and presentations during homeroom last week. There are a lot of clubs here, and it seems way more unregulated than in middle school. Maybe it's a school difference or a grade difference but there seems to be a lot more niche hobby clubs like the black magic club. Their presentation was really cool. They made a black door appear in the back wall of the classroom, and then smoke started pouring out! The lights turned off and a lot of people screamed when a ghostly cloaked figure carrying a candle appeared in a glowing summoning circle. They were all like, "Come one, come all, and let us enjoy being one of the chosen souls of the damned." And then a different voice was like, "If you like black magic, please considered joining our black magic club! It'll be a lot of fun ~ Teehee!" I think they got hit because they made a weird "GUFUUO-" noise before the teacher turned the lights back on and ordered them to clean up the mess of florescent sticker paper on the floor. One of the cloaked figures shrieked and ran off when the lights came back on leaving the other one to clean up. I think they scared more people than they intrigued them so I wonder what their member count is going to look like this year. But the black door was cool. I still have no idea how they made it appear and disappear. Black magic! I guess.

In the introductory club week presentation given by the student council, they said some clubs were invite only so unless someone from the club specifically wants you to join, you can't even apply. That sounds kind of elitist but hey, it's not my problem. It's not like I'll get invited to any club since a lot of the invite only clubs are hobby related. I think there was an invite only club that was a fan club for something but I can't really remember what.

I was thinking of joining the cooking club so I went to take a look after school at their club activities, thinking it would be something like a home economics class? They don't teach that at this school either, but I guess with all the rich kids they wouldn't really need it. Well anyways, I went in and suddenly it was like I was in a battlefield situation. There were pots clanging, and knives chopping and the scent of spices and ingredients in the air. I was so excited to finally be able to be in a serious club where I could learn real cooking until I looked closer. None of the people cooking were wearing uniforms- in fact, they looked a lot older than high school students. Looking past the (glorious) chefs cooking, I noticed a group of students sitting at tables and chatting with each other. Some were also watching the chefs cook. Someone noticed me standing there- I think he was the president – and he stood up and smiled, telling me to come in and asking if I was interested in joining the club. I said I wasn't sure what the club was so he went on a long explanation on what the club did.

Yeah, there was no cooking involved- I should have expected it. Basically the club was more of a tasting club than a cooking club. The members would watch the chefs that came in cook the dish of the week, try it and give feedback, then repeat the cycle again the next week. Most of the chefs were brought in by the club members or were guests, but sometimes students from the Toutsuki Culinary Academy also came in. The club's purpose was for the Ouran students interested in food to get a closer look at the cooking process or to grab a promising student chef and get them to work for their family. Apparently, most of the members were heirs to major food companies, so this club could help them build their foundation. In other words, not the club for me. I thought about joining because observation is also an important tool for cooking, and the club only meets bi weekly so there would still be a lot of free time for me to cook and study on my own, but would I be looked down upon when they find out I'm not from the same background as them? I don't know. I guess I'll think about it.

Also, I finally met my right neighbor. He was… a really unique individual? Jkjk. He was actually really sweet. I met him when I was on my way back home from the grocery store. It was really creepy at first because I thought he was some kind of stalker pervert. I wanted to get some eggs for dinner because I forgot that I ran out the week before and by the time I got to the store, paid for my stuff, and started walking back, it was already dark. I can't believe the sun sets at 6 here in September. Well, anyways I was walking back when I heard footsteps behind me. I shrugged it off at the time because I figured they would turn on a different street, but I was almost halfway home and the footsteps were still following me. It had been like, 10 minutes at this point and I was starting to freak out. There was no one else on the street with us and it was completely dark at this point, with only the house and street lights on. I figured I could take a quick look and if they looked suspicious, make a run for it. I was just about to turn around when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I shrieked and spun around, hitting the person with my plastic bag of eggs and prepared to run but the person shouted for me to wait, and that they weren't a bad person. I paused and turned around and saw a really pretty lady. Then she spoke and it was a guy? I have no idea why I didn't continue running, maybe because I was confused, but the person introduced himself as (Ranka? Ranko) Ranka and said he was a cross-dresser who worked at the bar in the town shopping district and that he wasn't following me, he just lived in the apartment complex in this direction. He was worried since he saw me heading in the same direction in the middle of the night and wanted to make sure I wasn't lost or anything or to walk me home because it wasn't safe for girls to be out at night.

After I heard where he lived, I told him I was in the same apartment complex and we walked and chatted- or more like we walked and he lectured me on the dangers of going out at night. It was really sweet and I guess you know by now that he ended up being my right neighbor. It was pretty funny, he insisted on walking me to my door and when I said this was my stop, he blinked and then laughed saying I'm the one that must have given him the cake. He and his daughter enjoyed it, and if I needed anything I should just stop by and visit. I think he was about to chat more but his daughter called him from inside so he left. She sounded really familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard her voice before. Well, I'll meet both of them eventually. Luckily, out of all the eggs I smashed Ranka with, only half were cracked or broken. Guess it's time to get creative with the egg dishes!

I also ended up sending the thank you meal to my step dad. I figured you would tell me to just do it, and that saying nothing was worse than saying thank you so I made a variety of steamed buns and sent them to him through (Akkio?) Akihito. I also packaged the leftover ones for him too because I felt awkward asking him to do something and giving him nothing in return. Akihito is apparently really popular. It's not a surprise since he has that kind of bishounen face, but I can't believe just walking up to a random student in the middle school section after school and asking where he was, worked. They even knew that he was in the calligraphy club. Maybe I just happened to randomly come across one of his friends? It would be really creepy if he has pseudo-stalkers… Luckily I managed to catch him before their club activities started. I asked him to give the box to step dad as a thank you and that the bag was for him to eat. He stared at it for a while before asking me if I wanted to just give it to his dad myself. His dad was going to be home for dinner, and I could stay over for the weekend too. I was thinking about agreeing, but I'm not sure why- I couldn't say yes. Maybe I was too embarrassed? Or maybe I just didn't want to see mom. (It's not like it's worth getting close to people who'll aban) Anyways, I hope he doesn't think the buns are disgusting or get food poisoning or anything. I ate one so it should be okay. That's all for now.

Ria

P.S. Sometimes I wake up and think you'll come barging into my house like always. I still miss you.


End file.
